The Perfect Gift (Flash Christmas Story)
by Tif S
Summary: Mason West-Allen used to think his gifts were just fine. It isn't until he overhears a conversation between his father and Caitlin that Mason knows, fine isn't good enough. He is determined to find a gift that is perfect. (Established Westallen plenty of Team Flash family and festive moments)
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello fellow Flash Fans, Merry Christmas. I decided to post this story because I'm in the Christmas mood, being that it is the day before Christmas Eve. This story will probably be a two or three parter, and will explore my OC Mason, Barry's son, and his search for the perfect gift as the title suggests. This story can be seen one of two ways: as either a future fic or an alternate dimension (which is the original intention, but I'm writing it to work both ways) I own nothing, except for my OCs. I hope you enjoy this little bit of holiday cheer.**_

* * *

 **The Perfect Gift (Part One)**

Mason's POV

What do you give someone who does almost everything for everyone without a second thought? What's the perfect gift for a real life superhero? What do you do when that superhero is your dad? This was the dilemma I faced one year when I finally realized just how much my dad did for everyone.

I was twelve. It was maybe a month before Christmas. I already had some sketches done for everyone, my usual go to gift, and before December fifteenth, they seemed like they would do just fine. I would sit in the cortex with Uncle Cisco watching the monitors and sketching the battles as they played out.

"If we decide to start an ad campaign, these would make great publicity." Uncle Cisco would joke.

Of course, there was no ad campaign. There never would be. It's not how things operated around STAR or for the Flash, but the compliments left me flying high for a while, until dad came home one day and I realized what it was I actually drew.

I prided myself on catching every detail in my drawings. I would draw every aspect of every moment, but there was one important detail I missed.

Dad zipped into the cortex on December fifteenth, but rather than waiting for the accolades that usually accompanied the aftermath of a successful rescue, he passed us by flashing in the direction of the medbay.

I knew he had rescued three kids. I knew the meta he had fought had come close to killing them, some psycho who liked to do a play on Christmas cheer as torture by dressing as a demented Santa and using Christmas trees as a weapon, seemed there was always one of those every December according to Mom and the others. But what I didn't know was why Dad had left without saying anything.

I stood and walked over to the medbay where Caitlin and my dad were talking as she patched him up, but rather than going in, I crouched listening through the open door.

"You did good Barry." Caitlin said. "They're safe because of you."

"They're safe," Dad replied. "But I couldn't save everyone." And that was the crux of it. I kept listening.

What we hadn't heard back here at the lab was the conversation once he had dropped them off at their aunt's house. "I turned off the comm." Dad continued.

Whenever kids were involved in rescues, Dad always stuck around longer to make sure they were safe. As he had talked with the aunt, maybe a five minute conversation, he learned that these three children he'd rescued had lost their parents in a car accident at Christmas the year previous. And that he had saved the family so much more heartbreak this year.

"Oh Barry..." Caitlin said.

That was the moment I knew. I needed to find something better than a drawing.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Let me know your thoughts. Also if you have any questions or want to see more with or know more about Mason let me know.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Here's part two. I took some liberties with canon. The situation described by Cisco and Caitlin is not a reference to any particular episode. As I said, this was originally intended to be an alternate dimension, and it shows a tiny bit in this chapter, but it's nothing too Earth shattering or major I hope. Also, this will be longer than three parts. The story is just naturally writing itself that way, so it might extend to the end of December/beginning of the new year.**_

* * *

 **The** **Perfect Gift (Part Two)**

Mason's POV

The first people I decided to talk to were Caitlin and Uncle Cisco, but the problem with having a speedster for a father is that you never know how long you have for a private conversation.

"Hey Mason," I walked into the cortex, peeling off my coat and boots, to see Caitlin holding a box labeled TREE. Ornaments and tinsel were spilling out. I reached down to pick up a silver ornament embossed with the logo of my dad's suit. "Wanna help us decorate?"

"Sure," I nodded handing Caitlin the ornament. "Is Dad coming?"

Caitlin looked over to where Uncle Cisco was wrestling with setting up the tree. "Your Mom wanted to go on an non-Flash shopping trip." She winced as Uncle Cisco proceeded to kick the branch into place. "Cisco, you know it clicks right?"

I winced too, but not because of the tree. Non-flash was almost nonexistent in our house and Mom had made peace with it, but there were times, especially when it came to the Holidays that superspeed was banned except when it came to Flash duty. Dad could easily zip in and out, completing the list of presents in about fifteen minutes or less, but traditional Holiday stress was just part of the charm.

"So, that's a no?"

She nodded.

"We're in business baby!" Uncle Cisco whooped as I turned. The tree was crooked and sad. Not Charlie Brown sad. It was a big one, but it drooped slightly to the right from all of the kicking he had done to keep it in place. This was good. If I helped them decorate the tree while Mom and Dad were shopping, I could figure out what to get Dad.

I helped dig through the box of ornaments. "What were other Christmases like when you guys first met Dad?"

Uncle Cisco and Caitlin exchanged a look. "Pretty much the same." Uncle Cisco shrugged, now working to untangle the ball of lights.

"Come on, you've gotta give me more than that!"

"What more is there?" Uncle Cisco said, but he was looking at Caitlin with a funny look on his face. "Metas that decide Black Friday is a good target, your dad does his thing, we all go home for cocoa."

"Uncle Cisco," He was hiding something. I could tell. I looked at Caitlin.

"It was two years after the particle accelerator." Caitlin began helping Cisco with the lights. "Barry...your dad...decided that he wanted to try Black Friday with his speed, not all bad." Caitlin said. "That was the same year that Dante had come back to Central."

"It was between Dante and me, and a whole mall of shoppers." Uncle Cisco finally spoke. "The Trickster had put the mall on a trigger, the center of which was the mall Santa setup."

 _Cisco's POV_

" _We're gonna be okay man. We're gonna be fine." I looked at Dante. The Trickster had us tied up at the base of the Christmas tree which had a bomb strapped to it. Honestly, I wasn't even sure._

" _Where's your hero now? What's he going to do I wonder?" The Trickster cackled. "Save two...or save the city."_

" _I thought you said this was going to be a regular shopping trip, not a hostage situation." Dante said._

" _Since when has Black Friday ever been normal?" I gave a nervous laugh. "Flash will help. Don't worry."_

Mason's POV

"Dad helped though. He saved you." I said. I hung the silver ornament with Dad's emblem.

"He did." Uncle Cisco nodded. "We dismantled the bombs, but not before it took down a whole floor."

I guess there were always casualties.

"That's why Dante uses the chair. Mom said…" They'd always told me he got hurt in the army.

"I know." Cisco said. "Dante doesn't like to talk about it...and we never told him."

"He doesn't know about Dad."

He shook his head. "All he knows is that the Flash saved our lives that year."

We continued decorating the tree in silence, at least until Uncle Cisco decided to put on the Christmas carols...brighten the mood. But I was lost in thoughts. What could _I_ do?

* * *

 ** _A/N: Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas Eve. I hope you enjoyed this part. Let me know your thoughts Flash friends. Would you like to see the Non-Flash Shopping Trip as an added part to the next chapter or bonus oneshot, let me know!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Part Three, a day late I know, but Christmas day was super busy. A belated Merry Christmas to whoever celebrates. As I said this whole thing will probably carry over to the end of December. It's writing itself that way. This is Barry's chapter, as promised one part of the nonflash shopping trip with a tiny bit of backstory on Mason thrown in for good measure. :)_**

 ** _Before we get started: I wanted to respond to a guest reviewer, Amazed's, question concerning Mason Caitlin and Cisco, and the form of address. If you're curious you can keep reading, if not just feel free to read the chapter._**

 ** _Amazed pointed out that Mason does not call Caitlin Aunt Caitlin. There is a bit of a strange explanation for that, but I hope it will suffice. The best explanation I can come up with is actually a personal habit of mine that was subconsciously transferred to Mason, and this habit concerns godparents. Both Cisco and Caitlin are Mason's godparents, chosen by Barry and Iris respectively. This is where my personal habit comes in. I call my godmother by her first name sans Aunt most of the time, always have. This doesn't reflect my closeness with her, and neither does it reflect Mason's relationship with Caitlin. I have also always referred to my godfather as uncle, neither does this reflect the state of my relationship with my own godfather nor Mason's with Cisco's._**

 ** _And now after that really long author's note: enjoy :)_**

* * *

 **The Perfect Gift (Part Three)**

Barry's POV

I've always liked Christmas, and as a kid I always thought Joe was crazy when he said that he'd have to wake up at four in the morning to go shopping for whatever it is Iris and I dreamt up. I think I actually know what he meant now. After the Particle Accelerator, I would always hit the stores on my way home from STAR or the station, a quick picking out of something, wait in the line like normal and check out, usually as close to the last minute as was possible, between Flash duty and CSI stuff. It's how I managed to get Mason the last Flash teddy bear Iris just swore he had to have as his first gift coming home from the hospital. ("It's a perfect first gift for your son. You have to admit.") It's how I usually get Joe and Iris their Christmas gifts without them knowing, and it's how I avoid getting trampled during moments like this.

"Try to relax Bar." Iris is laughing as she squeezes my hand. "It'll get done."

As I looked at the line, I wasn't sure how. It wound around the store and down the block, and we were twenty-third or so in the line. "What was it Mason asked for again?"

"That new computer set."

"Computer set?" I frowned. "Didn't we get him a new setup three months ago?"

"His last setup broke." Iris shook her head chuckling, although I could tell there was more behind it. "You remember Breakneck?"

"Breakneck…" It hit me then. "Wasn't that the day I…?" I remembered it now.

 _Barry's POV_

 _"Guys, she…" I was running faster than I'd ever run, and even then I was slowing down. I had to make it back to STAR. "What's the time delay, is there a time delay?" A sharp pain crawled up my leg. It was like a boa constrictor was wrapping my entire body. A massive charlie horse. "Augh!"_

 _"Barry! Just, hang on man." Cisco replied. "How far are you?"_

 _Another quick burst, and I was in the elevator, collapsing against the wall. "Elevator…" I grit out._

 _It was a rush of motion as Caitlin and Cisco rushed me to the medbay._

 _"Dad!"_

 _I was in and out as Breakneck's attack took hold, but I remember the fight._

 _"You should've let me come with you! I could've helped."_

 _"It was too dangerous."_

 _"So what then? You keep me locked up here like a prisoner?" The lights began flickering. "How the hell am I supposed to be able to figure out how to control it if I never use it?" Alarms began blaring, and we were sitting in complete darkness._

 _"Dude, what...? We're completely dead here." Cisco was bumping around in the cortex. In any other situation it would actually be comical. Not now._

 _"That's not…Mase!"_

 _Mason had stood knocking over the chair he'd been sitting in. "Some hero you are."_

Barry's POV

"Oh god...the surge in STAR Labs."

Iris nodded.

"I thought Cisco was helping him with that."

"He is, but you can't protect him forever." We were moving up in the line now. " _You_ should try helping him."

"How?"

"How did they help you?"

Point made. I gave a halfhearted smile. "Alright, I get it."

"Good." Iris squeezed my hand again. "They're gonna be opening the doors, get ready...and remember…"

"Come on, just enough to get us in the door?"

"Barry Allen...if you so much as make your hand…"

"Fine." I grinned.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So, what do you think? Next chapter, back to Mason as he tries to explain his dilemma to Caitlin and Cisco as part 2 of the non-flash shopping trip begins.**_


End file.
